The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Title: The Help
Author: Kathryn Stockett
Pages: 155/444

This week I read The Help by Kathryn Stockett. This book is set in Mississippi in 1962. It is told through three first-point perspectives: Skeeter, a tall girl with frizzy blonde hair who dreams of becoming a journalist, Aibileen, a middle aged woman who has made a living raising other people's children, and Minny, an outspoken and talented cook. Skeeter has just returned home from university to her family's house on their cotton plantation. Skeeter gets a job at the Jackson Journal writing a housekeeping column but since she has no experience in the area, she seeks out advice from Aibileen, her friend's maid. Aibileen is very happy to answer Skeeter's questions and they end up spending quite a bit of time together. One night, the topic of Aibileen's deceased son comes up. She mentions how he wanted to write a book from the help's point of view. Skeeter decides to use this idea as she had been searching for inspiration to write a book. Skeeter collects many stories from Aibileen and writes a 31 page preview to send to a publisher to see if they show interest. The next character, Minny, is left without a job after her elderly employer goes to live in a retirement home. She quickly finds a new job as a maid to, Celia, a strange woman who has just moved to the town. She hired Minny without her husband knowing and tries to pass off Minny's cooking as her own. She also spends a lot of time in her room and walking around upstairs in the children's rooms. And she has no children.